How is Chester Township run?
Chester Township’s town government spent $19,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $311 per resident.
What stands out about how Chester Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Armour School District 21-1
Chester Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Armour, Independence Township, Valley Township, Howard Township, Grandview Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,165 per pupil, $8,513 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
South Dakota districts overall: 50% local, 31% state, 19% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $311 per resident a year, or $0.85 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 89%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$311 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Chester Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($311 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 395 South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $292, and the middle half spent $142–$516. Chester Township spent more than 54% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Chester Township itself left out).
No trend yet
Chester Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Who’s in charge in Chester Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Chester Township’s votes are counted by county
South Dakota reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Chester Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Douglas County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican85.6%1,419 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat13.2%219 votesOthers: 1.2% (20 votes).
Most votes in Douglas County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Chester Township lies in Douglas County. Every 2024 race in Douglas County is on the county’s page.
Douglas County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Chester Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2South Dakota HouseState representatives
- 3South Dakota SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of South Dakota
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Chester Township compares with the towns next door
Chester Township spent $311 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $276 to $365. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Howard Township | $276 | $1,403 |
| Iowa Township | $308 | $1,235 |
| Independence Township | $365 | — |
| Moore Township | estimate | $1,028 |
| Armour | estimate | $1,673 |
| Grandview Township | estimate | — |
| Chester Township | $311 | — |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Chester Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Chester Township’s government
How much does Chester Township spend per resident?
About $311 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $311 was more than 54% of 395 South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Chester Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Chester Township yet.
How did Chester Township vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Chester Township alone. Douglas County, where 100% of Chester Township lies, voted Trump 85.6%, Harris 13.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Chester Township?
0 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $246 (about $2,952 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Chester Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 21 (MyKala Voita) and State House District 21 (Jim Halverson and Marty Overweg). The House district also covers 129 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Chester Township’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →